Black Consciousness Day Brings Nationwide Holiday Thursday in Brazil

Overview

• The November 20 holiday, created as a nationwide observance by a law sanctioned in December 2023, honors Zumbi dos Palmares and has been observed across all states since 2024.
• Bank branches will be closed on Thursday nationwide, while digital channels and ATMs remain available and transactions that require a business day move to the next banking day.
• Workers called in for essential activities or sectors covered by collective agreements are entitled to double pay or later time off under the CLT, according to labor attorneys consulted by G1 and Extra.
• Friday practices differ by locality and employer, with some governments declaring optional points or having separate municipal holidays—such as Natal on November 21—while others resume normal operations.
• Cities and companies published special hours and programs: shopping and service schedules vary in Fortaleza, Recife, Teresina, Natal and Divinópolis; Correios agencies close; utilities like Enel, Neoenergia and Compesa keep 24/7 channels and on-call crews, and some transit systems run reduced or weekend timetables.